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Homework Inquiries
The homework inquiry is a form of powerful question that clients use between
coaching calls. Instead of looking for the one right answer, the client is in a mode of
reflection, discovery, and learning. This list of homework inquiries is an excellent re-
source; however, active coaches will add to this list throughout their careers.

Beginning Inquiries
What do I want?
What is it to have a full, rich life?
What am I tolerating?
Where am I not being realistic?
What is integrity?
How do I operate?
What is it to live in alignment with my values?
What is it to be powerful?
What is it to be present?
What is my prevalent mood? Is that a habit?
What is choice? What is it to choose?
When do I allow myself to not be my word?
What is the difference between a wish and a goal?
Am I being nice or am I being real?
What do I use to avoid feelings? (For example, alcohol, food, work?)
Where is my attention? (On self, others, work, daydreams, my vision, values,
complaints?)

What Works?
What keeps me going?
What is working?
What frees me up?
What is it to be prosperous?
Where am I too hard on myself?
What is present when I’m at my best?
What is my structure to win?
Where am I the solution?

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

Motivational
When am I unable to laugh at myself?
What do I need in order to reach my goals?
What is the distinction between feeling good and fulfillment?
Great goals are compelling; vague goals are forgotten. Which type are my goals?
What am I building? (A cathedral or a block of stone?)
Who am I becoming?
What motivates me?
What is it to be undaunted?
What am I choosing this week?
What does it mean to allow or include?
What is it to be creative?
What powerful questions can I ask myself each morning?
What is it to be tenacious?
What is it to be passionate?
What flag am I bearing?
What is it to be powerful/resilient/resourceful/empowering/determined?
What pain do I notice in people around me?
What is it to speak/act from my heart?
How have I withheld myself from life?
Is what I am doing right now life-affirming or life-numbing?
What is it to be intuitive?
What is it to be focused?
What is it to be a leader?

Stopped/Blocked Client
What is the lie?
What am I resisting?
If I were at my best, what would I do right now?
Where do I give my power away? To whom? When?
What are my false assumptions?
What do I pretend? (To know or not to know?)
What do I need to leave alone?
What is out of alignment?

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

Stopped/Blocked Client cont’d

What is needed in this situation?
What is it to be exceptional?
What will I gather evidence for this week?
What is it to generate or cause?
What are my wants versus my musts?
Where am I an automatic no or yes?
Where do I limit myself?
What are other possibilities?
Where am I too comfortable?
What is it to move toward the fear?
What does it mean to “lean into it”?
Where am I sabotaging myself? Undermining my own potential for success?
What else can I do to honor my values?
What requests can be made to get me going?
What is the powerful interpretation?
Where am I uncompromising? Where am I too flexible?
What does ______________ cost me?
Where do I hold back?
What am I withholding?
What am I unwilling to risk?
What is it to surrender?
Where am I suffering?
What will free me up?
What are my assumptions?
What are my expectations?

Pleasure
How can I pamper myself today?
What am I grateful for?
Can I make someone smile this morning? Who?
What will recharge my batteries?
What is fun?
How can I contribute to my reserves of fun/leisure/balance/resourcefulness/
patience?

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

How can I have this be easy?

Who can I get to play with me on this project?
What is it to be tickled?
What is grace/serenity?
What makes me laugh?
Do I choose heavy or do I choose light?
Since I am going to do this anyway, do I choose to have it be neutral, hard, or fun?
What can I do to my physical environment to have it nurture/relax/empower me?
What is fulfilling, what feels good, and so what?
What is pleasure?
What acknowledgment can I give myself today?
What is kindness?
What is it to go softly into life?
What is abundance?
How can I have this be playful and light?
How can I double my vitality?
What should I give myself permission to do today?
When will I take a break today?
What thrills me?
What is it to be awed?
What is it to be generous with myself?
What is it to be considerate?
What is it to be gentle with myself?
What is it to gawk/savor?
What am I grateful for today?

Provocative
What do I regret/resent?
What am I unwilling to change?
Where might I be in denial?
What am I overlooking?
Where am I slowing down?
What is the decision I have been avoiding?
Where do I stop short?

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

Provocative cont’d
What is a big enough game?
What have I wanted to do and haven’t?
What keeps me from winning?
Where have I denied myself/others?
Why bother?
What am I being right about?
What complaint/fear/bad habit/discomfort can I do something about today?
Where am I asleep at the wheel?
What am I settling for?
What will this goal get me?
What am I overlooking?
How do I sabotage myself?
What is it to transcend my sense of failure/sense of resignation/feelings of “I can’t”?
Where am I selling out on myself?
What am I willing/unwilling to change?
What am I stepping over?
What is my reputation?
What do I expect of myself?
What is grace/enthusiasm/prosperity/abundance?
What is it to be proactive?
What is it to be centered/optimistic/supportable/non-attached?
What is it to be fluid/flexible?
What is it to be compassionate?
What is completion? Where am I incomplete?
If my whole attention is focused on producing the result, what will I have to give up?
Why am I taking this action?

Completion
What is it to be complete?
What’s next?
What territory have I taken?
How far have I come?
What valuable learning am I taking away?

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

Who have I become?

What have I built?
What did it take to get here?
What have I learned about myself?
What does it take to maintain?
What is momentum?
What will keep me on track?
What is it to be filled with loving kindness?
What is it to live life fully?
What is it to love deeply?
What values require my constant attention?
What will I be giving away?
What is my contribution to the world going to be?
Who did I have to be to reach this place?
How will I know to ask for support?
What acknowledgment would I like to give myself?

Assignments
Forgive yourself once a day.
Count the number of times a day you notice the Saboteur.
Laugh/smile twenty-five times a day.
Cite twenty-five things that make you proud of yourself.
Be present for fifteen minutes straight three times a day.
List your five most prevalent Saboteur conversations.
What is the most insidious side of your Saboteur?
List your justifications.
List your expectations.
Design a challenge for yourself that takes your breath away. Then do it five times.
Eliminate _____________ words from your vocabulary this week.
Add ________________ words to your vocabulary this week.
Do the hard thing first each morning and after lunch.
Say no _____ times a day.
Make _____ mistakes a day.

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.
 T H E COAC H ’ S TO O L K I T | 32

Homework Inquiries cont’d

Assignments cont’d
Take _____ risks this week.
Ask ______ people out for coffee this week.
Say “So what?” _____ times a day.
Ask and answer the question “Why bother?” with every new action.
Count the times you speak powerfully.
Only speak powerfully this week (not positively, but powerfully).
Catch yourself growing (making mistakes).
Acquire evidence of some new ability. (Using the “bushel basket” metaphor, gather
evidence of accomplishments, compassion, being proactive, going for it, and
so forth.)
Choose what you have in every moment.
Enjoy two big belly laughs each day.

Co-Active Coaching (2nd ed.) © 2007 by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl. Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this page for client use. Duplication for any other use, including resale, is a violation of copyright law.